Photovoltaic (PV) cells, commonly known as solar cells, are devices for conversion of solar radiation into electrical energy. Generally, solar radiation impinging on the surface of, and entering into, the substrate of a solar cell creates electron and hole pairs in the bulk of the substrate. The electron and hole pairs migrate to p-doped and n-doped regions in the substrate, thereby creating a voltage differential between the doped regions. The doped regions are connected to the conductive regions on the solar cell to direct an electrical current from the cell to an external circuit. When PV cells are combined in an array such as a PV module, the electrical energy collected from all of the PV cells can be combined in series and parallel arrangements to provide power with a certain voltage and current.
In addition to PV modules, PV module systems include additional hardware. Such hardware may include inverters, power meters, and PV module system controllers. When these PV modules and additional hardware are installed at a site (e.g., the roof of a building, a field, a carport, etc.) in many jurisdictions the system must be commissioned and approved by an inspector prior to operation. It may be advantageous to use portions of the PV module system to automate portions of the commissioning and inspection process and also facilitate communication with the inspector.